River Flows in You
by Inita
Summary: Blue Dragon Game, AU, BitL reference. 15 events for Jiro and Kluke. "Before he offers up what he saw between death and being alive, he wishes that they could stay together like this... for a long time." Jiro/Kluke.


**A/N****: **_Oh my God, is it seriously up? O_o Holy sh**... This took me __**DAYS!**__ Ugh, it's a miracle! :D Um... sorry about that ^^; Anyway... important announcements...? Yes, it /is/ the fanfic I was talking about in "Temperate", but I decided to do something different the more I progressed with it..._

_So! Just __**read all the author notes**__, and enjoy! :)_

_**Note: **__This was originally going to be 20 events, but one of the events progressed into something 'far' beyond my word count ;) And said event is going to be the 'surprise' of this fanfic... Plus, it makes up for the lack of 500 words in one of my events -.- But regardless, I won't lie: It _is _one part that's __**going to be in my novel, **__but just in __**Jiro's P.O.V rather Kluke's for **__**this**__** fanfic... **__In the actual novel, we'll be seeing it from Kluke's (or the name of my original character) P.O.V... with Blue Dragon 'style' of course ^^;_

**Universe: **Game/AU  
**Where (if AU): **Anywhere; strong reference to **"Blaze in the Labyrinth"**, mild reference to "**The Ties that Bind**" (which I really gotta update e.e), and slight reference to "**Shattered Wings**"(I've also gotta update this too :D). However, the majority is based off the games... just slight alternate turns e.e Not AU's...  
**Rating: **T; deals with a mature topic in several events. Some sensuality and suggestive themes; mild language; some alcohol reference

_*** means that this is from one of my fanfics/reference to my fanfics... I will not classify unless I place a footnote, but if your memory is good, you should know which one I'm talking about BEFORE reaching the end...**_

**EVENTS ARE NOT IN ORDER**.

_Disclaimer: I do not own Blue Dragon._

/

**1. Ring**

As the last patient for that day leaves the building, she places a hand upon the doorframe, leaning towards it for 'support'. The last visitor had drained her quite well, for attention was needed to a particular incident... To be specific, Yoyomi(1) had dislocated her lip for the third time that week. The poor woman needed immediate treatment, and Kluke was astonished that she had managed to get to the hospital with the assistance of only two people... Regardless – she shook her head, trying to clear away the remaining pieces of the events – that didn't' stop her from thinking about a new hospital. Or just a staff that could help her (Kluke) tend to severe injuries such as this... She had Randel and Chiffon, _of course_, but they were always busy. And no matter how many times one of them promised to be there to help her, she felt like a burden. She didn't want to pester them.

Shu was off with Sahlia (or was it the other way around?), the king sat on his throne with Zola by his side, and Jiro...

Kluke froze, eyes widening just slightly.

_Jiro_...

He _was_ investigating the machine found in the Underpass, but after Chiffon had investigated the Mechanical Garden, the 'mystery' of the device was basically... well, discovered. There wasn't much to it, save to know 'when the time was right'. But the problem was, _would he mind_?

Again, she shook her head, ashamed for thinking something so incredulous...

He wouldn't... After all, despite the times she had gone out looking for Shu, Jiro was the one who usually stopped by to check in on her and see how she was doing. Whenever he _did _stop by, Kluke usually took time out of his day to help her with the hospital and (sometimes) the patients. Sometimes crowds would come in waves – and she'd wonder where these people were catching these diseases, for heaven's sake. Was there a virus going around town that has (fortunately) not yet plagued her immune system?

"Hmm..." She muttered to herself, quietly, sauntering into her office. Desperately finding something to keep her occupied while she thought, Kluke averted her attention to the shelves of medicine. However, besides medicinal herbs and other supplies one would find in a hospital, she had stored a few 'personal' objects there herself... One was the book (or diary) her mother wrote, saying: "Your dad isn't one to express his emotions, but remember, Kluke, that he loves you dearly... Keep smiling." The father's diary was basically the same, but his was more... restrained.

Kluke shook her head, a small smile tugging at her lips as she placed her hand along the brown spine.

_Men_.

_They could be so insensitive..._

She moved her hand down the row of books and let it rest upon a dusty, brown box. Without a moment's hesitation, she pulled it down from the shelf, books leaning towards the 'now-empty' space. Kluke pulled off the lid and peered inside to find several items: Her mother's lipstick, another ornament once owned by her mother, a stethoscope, and finally, two small rings; one gem red, the other green.

_Shu and Jiro_.

The words engraved on them meant so much to her... And, unconsciously, she picks up the red one and reads the words: "_Cheer up, Kluke! I'll always be there to protect you!"_ Yet, Kluke smiles at this, grateful, almost... She realizes with no little amount of nostalgia, that her Shu has grown. He's almost a man now... He's starting to recognize the feeling of love and Sahlia's little 'dance' is starting to sway him (a bit). Behind her eyes, she feels the heavy pressure of tears, but they're not from sadness – she's proud.

Placing it on the countertop, she extracts the other: "_I'll always be by your side. You can confide in me_."

Jiro.

She thinks of how he comforted her that night in Lago Village; the night she feared the medicine wouldn't work... She remembers the day he stood in front of her when Nene and his army approached the red barrier... And she _tries_ to think about his behavior around her... He's _shy_ and, unless she's imagining things, he seems to be in deeper concentration than she's ever seen him in before... The answer to her questions lingers above her head, out of reach and no matter how high she jumps, she _can't_ _reach it_. It's too far away.

Sadly, she has a feeling that she _has _know what it is... It's almost like... It's almost like it's as important to her as she feels towards her patients...

'_There's no doubt_,' Kluke settles, placing the ring on her finger without paying much attention to the action. '_I _need _to know what it is._'

/

**2. Last Hope**

He closes his eyes, trying to concentrate. When Jiro was younger, he'd usually close them because he believed – 'knew' would be a better word in his case – that it improved his 'thinking' and that the ideas would come to him quicker. But this time, the eyelids feel heavy – they _are _heavy with the fatigue that has been pressured on his shoulders for so long. They were travelling west of Kelaso Village when they had overstepped their boundaries, unintentionally colliding with one of the dragons – the Blizzard Dragon. Of course, the Kelaso Village chief brought up the mention of a bracelet, which really _wasn't _worth risking their necks for... especially if there was only one piece of the prize.

Regardless, Jiro numbly realises that Zola, Kluke, and Marumaro are out cold, having suffered a terrible attack. He pushes himself off of the ground, arms feeling as if they're about to give way beneath him. Despite the coppery taste of his own blood residing in the confines of his mouth, he has a plan... or so he thinks... It's a strategy that _may work_... It might not... If only Shu could concentrate for a few minutes. During the heat of the battle, when Kluke had been knocked out, the younger had lost control and let loose a series of attacks, but to no avail. When he reached this point of aggression, Shu was hard to convince.

Sighing deeply, he lets out a shaky breath, feeling the cold perspiration drip down the sides of his face. Averting his gaze to the side, he spat out the globule of blood into the snow, wiping his mouth immediately after. And before Shu can make another move, he darts toward his younger friend, grabbing him by the wrist saying calmly (yet sternly), "Wait."

Shu turns to face him, incredulity shining in his eyes before he retorts, "_What for_? ! Jiro, this thing could _kill us_! ! Can't you see that? !"

'_Alright, now he's just overreacting..._' Jiro thought bitterly, a dull taste overwhelming the inside of his mouth. His eyes narrow and he says, "Just listen, okay? The only way to beat this guy, is to follow a thought-out plan. We can beat him just by using brute force and attacking without any strategic tactics..." Rely on Jiro to use such an 'advanced vocabulary' to explain his thoughts on the matter... Regardless, he paused and let Shu respond to his reasoning.

"I... Jiro, we don't have time to think... If we just—"

"Shu. Let me finish." Jiro ground out, feeling the wound in his side open more as he jerked his other arm forward to grip Shu's opposing arm. "We can't afford to lose to this, I _know that_. But if we don't think anything through, if we just charge in like we did when we began, we're not going to win. We're going to end up unconscious, or even worse – _dead_!" Unconsciously, Jiro averts his gaze to Kluke's unconscious body, a feeling of sudden protectiveness overwhelms him... envelopes him.

He wasn't going to let anyone die.

_Especially her._

Not now, not ever.

This was their last hope.

/

**3. No Time**

There really isn't any time left when you're searching for someone you hold dear to you... especially if you _know _he's in danger.

She hurries through the woods on the outskirts of Alumaru Village, pushing aside the leaves as fast as her arms can react. She feels the small twigs and leaves slice at her face as she rushes, swiftly dodging over obstacles such as logs and large rocks just to reach _that cave_. Why, out of all places, why was he in that cave? The one where Guru-Guru was found...? What was so important that was in there...? Something completely, utterly, and _freaking useless_... It _had _to be, it just-

Kluke lets out a startled yelp as her foot catches on a sharp, chunk of rock. Before she lands, she turns so that she'll land on her side, but when the bare arm scrapes against the dirt, pebbles and the like piercing her side, she regrets the move. Turning on her back, gripping her arm with the other hand, Kluke winces, feeling the warm, wet feel of blood spread across the front of her ankle. The pain is intense, and after running for so long, Kluke doesn't know if she'll be able to take it.

But a flash of Jiro and the possible scenarios he could be in – inside that cave – urge her to get up.

She does as her thoughts order her to, but as she applies pressure onto the ground, Kluke collapses from the intense pain that shoots up her leg. Groaning in a mix of anger and discomfort, she looks down at her ankle and assumes that the cause of her incapability to stand is a sharp tear in one of the many ligaments. But why is it hurting _that much_? After inspecting the wound, she gets up and limps as fast as she can to get to the cave. The pain may hurt and pull her down, but she won't give up...

There is _no time left_ and the fact that she can't cast a spell on her leg (a simple 'Heal' would be nice) makes the situation '_so much better_'. But it's slowing her down more than it should... Perhaps when she got to the cave she could check briefly before rushing in. Though after what seems to be an eternity, she finally reaches the entrance. As she places her foot against the lower surface of the cave, she peels down the magenta colored band – now stained red with her own blood. Kluke bites her lip as she gazes at the dark, deep slash across her ankle. Just a single tug at the upper layer of skin (or bottom) was enough to pull apart the wound and draw more blood. Not the best idea...

Swift as she can possibly manage, Kluke tears off a slim piece of fabric on her black skirt, wrapping it around the wound, cauterizing it for the time being. It wasn't much, but it would have to do until she got back to Alumaru Village.

_With Jiro_.

/

**4. *Control**

As he walks by the jeering people pegging insults at him in the courtyard, Jiro can't help but feel the need to _hit _one of them... Any. They were being incredibly rude, and what they said actually _hurt_. Regardless, he had _never _committed an act that lead to such actions, but perhaps they messed with him because he was different from other boys...? Yeah, that was it; he was different because he was basically the 'smart one' in the school. Jiro tried to come to the most logical conclusion that they were just being jealous... jerks, who cared nothing for others, but only themselves. Even so, despite no matter how much Shu was hurt by others (verbally), some of the levels these guys stopped down to were just... _ridiculous_. Immature, that would be the _perfect _word...

In fact, he's just about to make it past the gate when one blocks his path – Schneider, a _major _asshole.

'_Well... I was close..._'

"Hey, we're not finished here in case you haven't noticed." He spits out, teeth gritted. "You're going to _pay_ for what you _did _yesterday."

Oh, so suddenly, the fact that the blonde-haired kid had to punch someone was _Jiro's_ fault? Schneider almost made it sound as if Jiro went up and said, 'Hey, Schneider! You have serious anger-management issues! Why don't you punch me in the face and start a fight in front of the whole school?'

It takes every muscle in his body to prevent him from telling him to _back off _or just flat out _punch _the guy. He was a pacifist (or maybe a self-proclaimed pacifist...), and believed fighting didn't solve anything. But that didn't mean he was just going to hang there by a thread and let Schneider beat around the bush. So taking in a deep breath, he muttered, "Could you move out of my way? You're being ignorant." Though as soon as the words pass his lips, he feels two hands ram into his chest, and soon he finds himself on the ground, rear first. It was to be expected; Schneider had a low tolerance even for... ah, 'not-so-rude-comments-in-contrast-to-'certain-some-ones'-'... The guy would even treat his other friends like dirt; particularly the older ones who bossed him around such as Lemaire. The only one he seemed to show 'friendliness' to was Andropov.

But that wasn't enough to turn over a leaf, now was it?

Angrily, he pushes himself to his feet, shooting a glare at Schneider before trying to maneuver around the latter... and he does. But as soon as the two are back to back, he gets shoved (again) and _there's a sickening crack as his chin hits the cement. And the laughs that accompany him are just enough to cause the buildup of pressure behind his eyes-_

_That's it._

Jiro let out an enraged cry, tossing aside his pack before hurtling himself at the older of the two.

He was stupid.

He _knew _the response was childish, but he had _had it_. He had suffered too damn long to let this continue... At times, Jiro wouldn't even speak back... Violence wasn't the way, but he was too angry to think. He just wanted to make sure Schneider _knew how it felt_. But alas, as soon as he tackled the guy, he found himself on his back with the other overtop, trying to punch him for 'doing what he had done'. It was only when the arm had neared too close to the right side of his face when Jiro took this as the opportunity to turn his head and bite. Hard.

Schneider had let out a cry (or maybe Jiro was just hearing things...) and immediately called orders for his lackies to 'get this bookworm offa me! !' while he tried separating the one latched onto his arm by slamming his fist (repeatedly) into the other's head. However, as soon as the others had managed to pull him away (and restrain him for that matter), Schneider felt the need to kick him. The need was so powerful – it practically burned his insides – that he did it. He delivered a hard, sharp kick to Jiro's chest, which hit with flawless, precise accuracy. When his friends had let their victim drop to the ground (after hearing the satisfying gasp), he spat on the ground, unintentionally missing the 'know-it-all'. The needy-feeling to harm him again returned, but Schneider suppressed it, henceforth believing that it was enough... For now. "You'd better _back off_, you _prick_. Otherwise, I won't hold back; one of us will be going to Tata's hospital, and it _won't _be me... _Got it?_" He emphasized the last words by planting his sole-hard boot down on the younger's right hand.

Jiro bit down on his lip to prevent from feeding them the satisfactory of hearing him show _any signs _that he was in agony. His ribs felt as if they were on fire, there was a coppery taste in the left side of his mouth, his chin was caked with a wet substance that _stung_, his head hurt more than it did when he got a migraine, and the feeling of getting thrown around by this guy made him feel small... Weak. _Pathetic_ – just as Schneider had said. They were right; he _was _too emotional for this. In the past (and even now), they had poked at him for not being 'fit' for any physical education activities _because he was too much of a bookworm_.

"Are you listening? !" The boot – that _freaking boot_! ! – lifted about an inch before smoldering the 'already-injured' hand beneath.

Now he _did _cry out, desperately trying to pull away his hand from Schneider's foot – almost like a trapped animal trying to perform a futile escape.

"Stop! !"

That voice...

It was too high-pitched to belong to a male... Definitely female-

Kluke.

And she was standing before him with arms spread wide. Though from his pitiful view on the ground, he could see that a fierce fire burned deep in her dark brown eyes; it was fierce and protective; threatening, almost.

"Who the hell are you?" was Schneider's way of a greeting.

The girl stiffened, briefly (and firmly) shaking her head. "That's none of your concern. What's your deal? You were messing with him a week ago, so what _is it _that he's doing that irks you so much?"

Schneider narrowed his eyes, opened his mouth to bark out a response, but was halted by another. Angrily, he spun and shot out a, "_What_? !"

The (un)lucky 'friend' – a lad with light blue, spiked up hair – flinched just slightly before fully responding, "We don't have time for this, Schneider. Let's just leave..." When he saw the incredulity spread across his face, he added, "...for now."

With that, they left – albeit one left reluctantly than the others.

As soon as they were gone, Kluke let out a relieved sigh, immediately turning around to inspect Jiro. A look of pure concern and worry crossed her face, eyes narrowed. "Are you okay...?" Without waiting for a response, she offered a hand to help him up, the fire in her eyes slowly dying away.

Much obliged, her grasped hold and she pulled him up. He responded with a small nod, still clutching at the area over his ribs. He _knew _something was definitely broken... Apparently, she knew this too...

Without another word (well... much...), Kluke tugged gently, urging him to come with her (somewhere). When he hesitated, she pushed him further by adding, "Come on... You honestly don't expect me to leave you in this state, do you? Besides, your parents need to find out, and I _highly _doubt you'll spill to them about what just happened... Now come on."

As she pulled him along, Jiro felt as if a heavy weight was lifted off his shoulders, and replaced with something far more comforting and soft...

It was that day when he realized he was not – and never would be – alone.

/

**5. *Treatment by Candlelight**

The thought that he and Kluke are alone inside the ruins of Talta eludes him... or... he _tries_ to _get it _to elude him... Jiro realizes with a sickening feeling that they weren't supposed to _be _inside of this underground cavern... This was Shu's business, and Shu only. The painting was a dragon, not a minotaur, nor a... well, whatever it was that Kluke possessed(2); if she had the same experiences as himself and his other friends, then Kluke was _bound_ to have a Shadow too... And if she didn't? Well... he didn't want to overanalyze the situation... Not yet... He still felt distrustful towards Kluke despite their past run-ins...

He hears a quick _fwip_ and he immediately turns to inspect the source of the sound – a match. Without another word, he watches _her _guide the small flame to the wick of the candle concealed by the lantern shades. She bends down to pick up the top and screws it back on, the beams emanating from the flame dancing on the walls and shining on her face, bringing out the beautiful shade of her eyes...

...and he mentally slapped himself for that stupid thought. Kluke _was _pretty, but she wouldn't want to be with him, would she? That Andropov-kid, a friend of Schneider (his teeth grit at the thought of the latter's name), had feelings for Kluke, and a possible vice versa. Besides, he, Jiro just endured the bullying and pushed everyone away... _including _her. He's been alone for so long, for so many years... that he finds it odd actually talking to someone nowadays... It's _sad_ almost. His _curse_... The crushing feeling of failure presses down on him more than it should. There isn't a day that goes by where he _doesn't_ think about his father... His _real _father... Not the abusive drunk currently residing in his house. The very thought of that man is enough to form a lump inside of his (Jiro) throat – he robbed him of everything. From respect from his mother, to changing his wardrobe to conceal the blotting injuries everyone on his-

"Jiro?" The quiet voice breaks his train of thoughts.

He still refuses to look at her though. "What?"

Kluke inwardly flinches at the harshness in his voice, coming to the conclusion that his thoughts must have been more focused than she had anticipated... Nevertheless, she feels the sweat build up in her palm, dampening the metal handle of the lantern. She chews on her lower lip and says, "I want to... Um, I want to... see if he _hit you_ anywhere else... Besides the arms, you know..."

Jiro shifts uncomfortably, eyes narrowed. He knew what she was getting at despite her not coming out with the exact words. "No."

She frowns as well. "I know you feel uncomfortable, but _please_. If you say you can't heal yourself without being completely drained, then let me help... I may not be able to know how to heal, but I'm training to be a doctor... I think I told you that a few days ago, actually." Kluke gestures at his tunic. "I know you feel uncomfortable about this, but-"

He cuts her off with a shake of a head and a dismissive noise in the back of his throat. To back up his response, Jiro adds in, "You don't have any medical supplies with you anyway, do you?" When he sees her hesitate, he breathes out a small sigh of relief. But before he can become too comfortable, a ghost of a smile appears on her lips. A feeling of dread (not necessarily _bad _dread...) overcomes him.

"No, I don't. But that doesn't mean I _can't_ inspect you, now can I?"

She's right, there...

Sighing, he places his hands on his belt, already undoing the buckle. As it drops to the ground and as he prepares to pull the tunic over his head followed up by the black turtleneck, Jiro knows that this night isn't going to end the way he expected it would.

/

**6. A Dream in a Dream**

She doesn't know where she is... What she _does know_, is that it's dark, cold, and too quiet for her liking. The perfect setting and dank mood for a cell. Kluke, roused from sleep the instant the Mecha Robo shook ever-so violently, jolted upright from the cold, metal bed, heart pounding wildly. She could feel it hammering against her ribcage, having just recovered from the mixed shock of being in an unknown location, and the shockwave the shook the carrier. Kluke averted her gaze from left to right, coming in contact with darkness everywhere she looked. She felt around the bed carefully for something – anything that could produce light. But all she had was the hard bed, and two peculiar rings.

Her good luck charms from Shu and Jiro.

Thinking about those two hurt more than it should have. With a sickening wave of realization, Kluke _knew _(and accepted) that she was alone. Shu, Jiro, Marumaro, and Zola had escaped the Nene's evil clutches... And she _knew _they tried to rescue her... She could faintly remember the dull shouts of her name from her two childhood friends – the shout that had protruded her dreams (or perhaps nightmare was a better word). Kluke hadn't opened her eyes at that moment (she couldn't), but a known fact was that when one neared a possible awakening, they could hear the voices or sounds around them. She had known, for sure, that she had heard both Shu and Jiro.

Stifling a sob that was caused by the lump in her throat, Kluke curled inwards on her side. It wasn't long before sleep held her in its clutches.

She dreamed, and in contrast to the other dreams she experienced, this one was far more pleasant. In her mind was, no doubt, Talta Village. She didn't need to glance at the beautiful windmill overhead to know this for sure; the beige sand and familiar smell of the desert surrounding was good enough for her. Next to her, on her left, was Shu, sprawled out on his 'favorite spot'; on the opposing side was Jiro. Both looked content, but with Shu, the calm expression seemed out of place.

After what seemed to be a minute, she mustered up enough courage to speak. "What are we doing...?"

"_Ssh_!"

Kluke shot Shu an incredulous look, eyes slightly narrowed. "What, Shu?"

"We can't afford to lose our focus on this... I swear, every year on this day, the wind carries these... objects of some sort." was the serious response. "Jiro knows what I'm talking about, right?"

The one now under the spotlight hesitated. "Shu, I don't think the zephyrs carry in anything... Perhaps it's something you imagine, or an illusion, or-"

"Meh..."

That was right. This was the event that took place weeks after the death of her parents... Shu had ran up to the windmill that day to point out 'tangible zephyrs', or something along the lines of a tangible substance... It didn't matter much, because the events that took after that day were quite joyous. Or... so she remembered. All that she experienced now was the 'dull' part of the moment... They were just standing – rather sitting – in the same place for such a prolonged time... or, that's what it seemed to be.

Then, almost abruptly, Jiro stood, folding his arms across his chest. When he received looks from both Shu and Kluke, he responded with a, "I'll be right back," and made way down the hill.

_That didn't happen... did it?_

Kluke rose as well, holding up her index finger at Shu to tell him (nonverbally) to lend her a minute. The response consisted of a nod of the head, and she walked down the path after Jiro. In all honesty, she wasn't sure what to say... But the dream seemed so real and that Kluke thought that whatever she said, Jiro would hear of in real life – thought it wasn't real. It was just an old time event being altered in her conscious. Regardless: "What's wrong?"

He froze and turned, facing her fully now. "Nothing, Kluke."

_It – the start of a 'would-be' conversation – felt too real... _She pursed her lips, a bit unsure of what to say. But with as much 'reason' as she could, she said exactly what was bothering her the most: "Jiro, I don't know if you can hear me..." _You're crazy..._ "...but I don't want you and Shu to worry... I'll be fine; don't be rash or rush into anything..." (She sees the confusion and puzzlement in his eyes – _it felts so real... – _that she's almost convinced that this is just a very _detailed _dream... It _had to be_... Though for some reason, she keeps on pushing the matter: "Keep an extra eye on Shu for me... You know how he has a bad tendency to almost get you killed." She adds this last part with the dry humor she uses to cover up her true emotions; it would work. And then...

...it seems as if everything is fading.

The image of Jiro... Talta Village... It's almost as if she's falling down a tunnel and the scenery before her is fading into blackness – nothing.

From her uncomfortable spot on the bed, she jerks up from her sleep, gasping. Immediately, she repeats what she did before she dreamt, but instead of turning towards the pillow again, she hugs her knees close to her chest – she realizes that she forgot to say one more thing...

_Find me._

And despite those two words having been said or not, she _knows _they'll do it – they won't give up in their rescue.

**7. *Artifacts and Fragments of his Past**

She tugged at the book sandwiched between rows on both sides. As Kluke gives one final tug (pulling out not only the one she wanted, but several other as well), she bitterly thinks, '_That was one thing I didn't miss about Jibral... The library and their bad habit of having these novels practically _glued _to one another_...' Regardless, she knelt down and started stacking them, putting aside the article with the peeled spine and yellow, torn pages. After much muttering and stacking, the books were back in place on the shelves, and Kluke found herself seated at one of the tables, skimming each page she turned, her searches fruitless. The fact that information on white and black magic was absent made her upset and slightly irritated... This was an _ancient _library, so why was there absolutely not information on her type of magic? And judging from what Jiro had said, he was capable of using white magic; the ability to heal. Along with the healing capabilities, Jiro was also gifted with Barrier Magic, which allowed force fields to be conjured out of thin air to protect the wielder and other allies.

In the end, she stood, accidentally knocking the book off the table when she _meant _to grab it. Huffing, Kluke bent down and turned it over. The contents of the page stilled her actions for, the heading, was labeled "Star and Moon"...

Without a moment's hesitation, she pulled herself back into the seat and began searching the page for more information. The sleeves crinkled in protest as she turned onto the next section. To her astonishment, the chapter of the astrological symbols led on for four pages. Granted, the book was large so four was indeed a high number. She turned back to the first page and began reading – carefully, and studiously.

According to the research, when white and black magic users reached a certain level in their magic, they could cast the Star and Moon spell; star for black magic, and moon for white magic. The only flaw was that each spell pulled an element (or healing attribute) at random, but the user was able to cast skills faster – less charge time... Kluke was liking this already. In fact, she was so caught up in her musing that she almost didn't hear the voice behind her:

"What are you doing?"

She starts, whirling around immediately to face the speaker – Jiro. She blinks a few times before finding her voice to respond: "I'm just looking up research on everyone's magic..." (_not really everyone, but just ours_) "There are a lot of gaps that need to be filled in. It would be pretty useless if we just wandered around in the middle of a battle, trying to think of what spells to use."

He nodded in agreement before averting his gaze from her, to the book. "So have you found anything?" he asked, gesturing vaguely to the head title.

Kluke nodded. "Yes, but it's a bit unclear..." Her eyes slide to the unknown text, footnotes. I have a feeling these sentences may be more important than anything else on this page..." She turns to the next, "...and this one."

Jiro raises an eyebrow at this, which is quickly followed up by a frown. When the silence had passed over them for what seemed to be minutes, he spoke softly, "Is it alright if I have a look at this?"

"Sure..." She pulls the seat next to her, inviting him to sit down (and he does). "Do you understand this?"

His lips form a tight line and Kluke realized how stupid the question was... Regardless, he responded, "I don't know much of it, but I might be able to translate these notes... It's Ancient text; the language doesn't exist in this era, so speakers of this type of dialect aren't common." Some unidentifiable emotion flashes in his eyes, but before she can intervene and ask if he's alright, Jiro's speaking again, "My father used to research the Ancient artifacts... A few coworkers taught him some of the language such as basic vocabulary." He slowly removed his gaze from the page to Kluke. "When I turned ten, he started teaching me some of the language and the different meanings..."

She swallowed past a lump in her throat, understanding the pain. The question that popped up in her head was not meant for his ears, but it escaped from her mouth anyway: "What did you do when your mom got together with... you know..."

Jiro (who had drifted back to the page at some point) stiffened, fist clenching tightly atop the wooden surface. He responded, but it was _dry _and he _refused _to shoot a look her way. "He didn't like it... He thought- _believed_, that what was past, was past. 'That was then, this is now' deal... He had absolutely no tolerance for it. I sometimes believed that his hatred for the Ancients was why I kept doing what I did, ignoring him. But..." (He inwardly flinched before the next part was told) "...One time, when I was maybe eleven...? He barged into my room while I had the books and artifacts scattered across the desk... some were even on the floor. He 'scolded' me for not 'following his orders'. He said he didn't want me doing _anything _that would remind my mother – or myself for that matter – of my father..." Jiro ground his teeth together, pure hatred mixed with slight fear and more anger practically bubbled in the pit of his stomach.

"I think all that man cared about was how my father was out of the picture. Regardless, I didn't listen... I told him that I would _never _accept him if he was going to treat everything I did – everything my father owned – like dirt. I wasn't going to put up with that... I still remember the way he looked at me that day..." (His eyes seemed distance; staring at something only he could see) "Before I knew it, he had shoved me to the ground and I found it difficult to breathe... Because of the shock from going from one spot to another, it took a second more than it should to register that he was trying to _strangle _me. Right as I felt I was going to faint dead on the spot, he let go and I rolled on my side, coughing. He threatened me, saying that if he found out I was learning more about the Ancient language that he _would _kill me... And then, he left."

Kluke was silent when he had finished speaking, fear pricking at her backside, spurring up tears that pressured behind her eyes. It was _awful_... The fact that Jiro had to endure something akin to that almost every day... Well, _before _they left for Jibral... It was absurd. And she felt an undying hatred of her own towards that man... She had difficulty trying to speak, but the words eventually emerged: "I'm sorry..."

Jiro shook his head, dismissing it. "It's fine... Don't worry about it."

'_But I _should...' Was the last thought before another topic was brought on. "Do you mind if I help with the translations?" She asked quietly.

He glanced at her briefly, which was followed by a firm nod of the head. "Sure."

/

**8. *Wedding**

He's twenty-three – so is she... It's too young for her to be getting shipped off with that... blue-haired Andropov-kid.

But she loved him, didn't she? That's all that mattered...

Jiro tugs at the bow tie his father gave to him from what seemed to be _so long ago_, when in reality, it was just yesterday (He notes silently that it goes along well with the outfit). But the reason why he fiddles with the bow so much is to distract him from seeing _her _with _him_. For further distraction, he averts his gaze to the left, eyes now locked on Randel and Chiffon; both are talking ecstatically. Or... Randel is; Chiffon is just listening (and smiling). '_Reminds you of something you couldn't do for her, now, could you?_' a cold, nasty voice taunts. He winces at this pushing away any intruding words that enter his mind... But the little voice _was _right... He hadn't done _a thing_... Save for one; he scared her. That day in Talta's ruins – when Kluke was just _ten years old_ – she was almost assaulted by some disgusting pigs who couldn't keep it in. Jiro had attacked them, mercilessly – he _showed _them how much he wanted them to _die_ on the spot that day...

And he can't bear to think about what he said and hoped. He would _never _have put it out there... Especially if-

"Hey, Jiro!"

He turns towards the sound of the voice – Shu... who is with another girl about his (Shu) age... Regardless, Jiro waves back, giving a small smile, retuning the greeting. When the two are closer, he says, "How've you been?" (The younger replies with a 'I've been great', and Jiro averts the attention to the new girl.) "Sorry for not speaking sooner..." He holds out a hand for her to take (which she does, thankfully) before introducing himself: "I'm Jiro, it's nice to meet you." An assuring smile tells her that it's 'alright' and 'not to be shy'.

The girl, blushing a light shade of pink, has dark black hair pulled up into pigtails restrained by blue bands. Her eyes are a strikingly beautiful shade of lavender (and the chest size may be a bit too large for her age... but regardless-), and when she spoke, her voice was high-pitched, but shy. "My name's Bouquet. I-It's nice to meet you too."

Shu chuckled, folding his arms across his chest – something he'd 'adopted' from Jiro. "Yeah, I forgot to contact you when we met." He says sheepishly. "Turns out she's into the same stuff as I am and we met at the university I go to in Alumaru village." Here, he nudges Jiro in the elbow (a little). "She's usually not this shy, but I suppose just being around someone who's a stranger to her is a bit odd, you know? Hehe... Over time, we also got to know each a bit better, if you catch my drift..." (Jiro can't help but roll his eyes at the last statement; he's growing up _too fast_... It's not fair.) "Alright! We're going to go and try to find Kluke, so if you want to tag along, let's go." Without waiting for a response, Shu takes off, dragging behind a startled Bouquet.

_What the heck...? It wouldn't hurt, would it?_

She's with Andropov – that's the first thing that comes to his mind. The second: She's enjoying herself; laughing joyously as he says something to her. Deep inside, he feels a sharp, twisting pain, but he suppresses it, watching as Shu charges towards Kluke, shouting her name. She turns on instinct, grinning widely and pulling him into a hug. When he pulls away, he introduces her to Bouquet and the two girls share a 'shy' greeting; the latter being exceedingly timid and thoughtful in her acts. Though Kluke mutters a few words to her new friend, telling her something along the lines of 'not to feel uncomfortable' and that they 'wouldn't bite'. As they're uttered, Bouquet nods, standing a bit more straighter and dishing out quite a few phrases.

It's right then and there where she _finally _notices _him_. Jiro.

Kluke parts her lips as if she's preparing to say his name, but instead, she walks forward, pulling him into a hug like she did Shu. She mutters something in his ear and it takes him a while to decode the words: I'm glad you're here.

In response, he nods against her shoulder, finding the bejeweled albeit somewhat pointed torso of the dress press against his own.

He returns his share of the greetings, and comes to the hesitant conclusion that Kluke _was _happy with Andropov...

And as long as Kluke was happy, he wasn't going to interfere.

/

**9. Askew**

"You're insane..."

"That's what _she _said... or what she's _going _to say... Hehe..."

Jiro shot Shu an incredulous look, eyes narrowed. They both knew that they were _not _ready for this, but the fact that Shu was with Sahlia, he hated seeing Jiro and Kluke alone... Sort of, kinda... Regardless, his two childhood friends should _not _have missed out on all the 'action and drama' of dating... How this all started? At the banquet after the Egg of Light transformed into a New Planet... Sahlia had confessed to Shu, and ironically, Shu chose her over Kluke... The latter of the three was upset, but she suppressed the emotions, and went along with it, showing she was more proud than depressed. But still... Jiro didn't want to go up to her hospital door, knock and say: 'Hi, Kluke! Shu and Sahlia are dating and I don't want to be the odd man out. So you wanna go on a date?' It was one, too out of character for his liking, and two, he even admitted to himself that he didn't' have _that much _courage to go and ask her out...

"Shu, you can't rush these things..."

His younger friend smiled at him slyly. "Of course I can. What do you think I'm doing now?" He jumped just slightly when the sound of glasses collided with one another, the sound emanating from the hospital. "Hah! Perfect timing! Jiro, she needs help, so why don't you..." (He pushes the older towards the hospital, ignoring the enraged: "_Shu_! !") "...go see if she needs help?" Without another word, Shu grins cheekily before taking off in the opposing direction to give his two friends privacy (and before Jiro can grab him by the tank top and shake him to death, shrieking, "What's your problem? !").

..._Why not_?

Taking a deep breath, he trudges towards the door, and knocks. When no one answers, he's just about ready to turn around until it swings open, revealing Kluke, whose hair is disheveled from either rushing, or just stress in general (but stress from _what_?). "Jiro?" She says his name, eyebrows knitted together to display her confusion. "What are you doing here...?"

He debates whether or not to mention Shu... He decides to mention him, but nothing more than: "Shu wanted me to check in on you. I think it's his way of 'finding an excuse so he can go off with Sahlia'... Alone. He looks over her shoulder, gaze locked on the doorway that leads to her main office. "Did you... drop something?"

She follows his gaze, nodding. "Yep. Sure did..." She faces him yet again, "I'll clean it up in a minute." She turns to leave, but he halts her by latching onto her wrist.

"Let me help. Might as well make myself useful, you know?"

Much obliged, she pulled him inside, heading for the office room. However, all the euphoria of _him _asking _her _to help dashed away when she saw the mess. She was sure (positive) that Jiro would probably think she was irresponsible or messy, but Kluke pushed the thought away, trying to focus on the shattered glass and fallen files and papers on the shelves. Medicinal herbs mixed with one another, rendering the majority of them useless – some were not permitted to touch one another for the medicine would not be as useful. Regardless, she cleared her throat. "Well... There it is."

Jiro blinked a few times, surprised at this display. "It's no problem." _I hope_. "We'll get it cleaned up."

Perhaps he was wrong; maybe this day _would_ pay off.

/

**10. *Listen**

Kluke had promised that she'd _listen _if something was wrong... So far, all of that has been 'along the right path' or 'straight on the marker'... All those neat, catchy phrases people would get worked up about... She knew one thing though: The thought that his step father- er, 'mother's boyfriend, was definitely on the 'abuse' list. She had suspected something from the start when Jiro had dropped about a dozen – _three _– hints... Either she was slow in general, or she was just waiting for him to speak up and admit it himself. Because not waiting, would end... _badly_, for a lack of a better word. Regardless, she was there for him, and he _knew _that, didn't he? He wasn't going to avoid her from now on, was he? She bit her lip, pondering the matter deeply and coming to this: Jiro was a quiet, reserved person... Henceforth why he hadn't told her anything those days before.

She feels the soft, night wind against her hair, the loose brown strands of her ponytail flying north – past her face. Kluke blinks her eyes twice, a bit confused at the way the wind blew... Near Jibral – which is where they are going – the wind never blew north... If it did, then it was very rare, but on most occasions, the direction was out of the other three. Turning, she looks back at the small camp that was made; the lumps concealed by different colored fabric are her dear friends: Bouquet, Sahlia, Shu, Zola, Marumaro, Chiffon, Randel, and Jibral. Oddly, the eldest of the group had promised a night watch, but as soon as they set up camp, he collapsed from exhaustion. This was probably caused by their most recent fight against several Lazy Bears (which really struck home when you didn't have a Shadow experienced in offensive arts). Boy, those creatures were ugly as sin, but they really did pack a punch... Unfortunately, Jibral had received the brunt of one of their attacks, Jiro nor the man himself having enough time to conjure a force field.

So, not the least bit reluctant, Kluke had volunteered for the night watch role. Though as she looked around the camp, she realized that she had put some slight shame towards the namesake – it _was _called night watch for a reason. She couldn't find Jiro anywhere, and the sleeping bag was (un)surprisingly empty. Over the days they spent at Chiffon's house, Kluke had noticed an 'odd' trait (or habit) that Jiro seemed to hone: The latter would waltz out onto the porch and gaze intently only at something he was seeing. She tries not to think of how _lonely _he seems and devoid of emotion... Nor does the thought about the way the wind had a (tantalizing) habit of gingerly tousling the rich, brown locks of his hair.

Kluke feels her face heat up a bit – not much. But still, it's enough to make her feel _ashamed _for _blushing at something so idiotic_...

"If you want, you can get some sleep."

She starts at the sound of his voice, maneuvering so she can fully face him. He's positioned on the rock adjacent to her, eyes closed with one knee pulled to his chest while the other lays out. The north wind tugs at his hair too, sending those stubborn strands askew. Not violently though – quite the opposite. From her spot, Kluke can see the outline of his profile; lithe arms (adorned with those hideous blotches that should not be), slim frame – she mentally slaps herself for (a lack of better word) 'checking him out'... Nonetheless, she responds to his statement:

"No, it's alright, Jiro. I'm not that tired anyway..."

"Hmph," he slips out, albeit amused in a strange way. "Makes two of us..." He waits for her to take a seat next to him (the slab is big enough to suit both of them). She does so, and an awkward silence envelops the atmosphere – serenity hovers over them like a storm cloud ready to let loose. But in contrast to the cloud of storms, this one is soothing and the precipitation is _warm_. "Do you have a lot on your mind?" He doesn't even look at her when he says this; he keeps his gaze locked on the white diamonds of the sky.

Kluke smoothes out the skirt of the light blue miniskirt, struggling to find the words needed to respond. "No, I don't have much... Perhaps I'm a little overwhelmed with the journey... Shu's ruins in particular... You saw what happened, didn't you, Jiro? He got _sucked into the painting of the dragon_. What if he didn't come back out? You remember what Jibral said: 'If the ruins are destroyed or fractured in any way, the person inside would never emerge'. If that happened to Shu, then he would've been _trapped_. I don't know him as well as Sahlia and Bouquet, but I've come to think of him as a close friend... If something happened, they'd be _heartbroken_. And you?"

Jiro raised an eyebrow at her.

"I know how you feel towards Shu... Before we met, Bouquet talked to me about your relationship with him... said you dragged him away from others? He also told me you two were close..." She froze, hesitant about adding the next part, "He's worried about you... He told me you were never this quiet until your mom got together with... well, you know..."

He was quiet at first, but later responded: "Shu _is_ worried... I had a feeling... But I can't tell him."

"Why not?" she protested, eyes narrowed.

Jiro let out a sigh, looking at her fully now (and it was at this point in time where she could see the solid, dark brown of his eyes – veiled and weighed down by heavy concentration and thoughtfulness). She realized that Jiro wasn't like Randel or Shu – he was more observant, logistic, prudent... On first glance, Jiro seemed to be a pacifist; one who wouldn't pick a fight (save for that time with Schneider). "Remember what you told me in Talta, Kluke?"

Her lips are parted, and she takes shallow breaths. She's so caught up in staring deep into his eyes, taking notice of the solid facial features, that she almost doesn't hear anything. "Yes, I do... I told you that I'd be there to listen, didn't I?"

He nodded, turning away so he could avert his gaze to something else. "Well I'm asking for you to listen this one time... I haven't requested that lately, but I don't think it's too late to start now..."

Kluke agrees with him, a slight bob of the head.

It was true; she was going to listen and be there for him no matter what.

For tonight, she'd lend only an ear, and rarely a voice.

/

**11. Secret**

With a steady, pulsing realization, he is one-hundred percent _positive _that he likes Kluke in more than one way – he is about eight years old when he comes to this conclusion.

Maybe it's just him, but he finds the eyes the most attractive about her... They're a deep, warm brown; caring in many ways. But when she was angry, they would _almost _undergo a transformation – turn _black_ as she spewed out comments towards the one who hurt her friend. Yet still... they still maintained and balanced that elegant edge. Her attitude was another trait that caught his attention; she was willing to sacrifice her time of day just to help someone in need... This person could be a complete stranger – it didn't matter. She opened up like a flower bud in spring time, welcoming those who required assistance.

He's around the age of fourteen when he realizes that she's just downright _beautiful_. He could delve into endless talk about the way she talks, laughs, and even _smiles_ – which is rare. The cause of the crush? Jiro forces himself to believe it's just those hormones kicking in, but he _knows_ – eventually admitting when he's fifteen – that he likes Kluke because of the person she is; strong and kind, shy as well... She's just _perfect_; despite what she says about herself (or what others say), it's not enough to affect his opinion on her. She'll _always _be perfect to him; no matter what others say.

Sadly, Shu has also developed feelings for her, but he doesn't move in and start acting like a complete _jerk _to the younger – Shu was his best friend. Thinking about hurting him in any way just made him feel sick and disgusted with himself. And of course, hurting Shu would probably harm Kluke a good deal as well, but he usually leans on his loyalty towards Shu that prevents him from waltzing over and challenging the (at the time) thirteen year old. As much as he loved Kluke, he didn't want to jeopardize Shu's friendship either; after all, it _was _the dragon-shadow wielder who _accepted _him while in school.

Though admitting something to Kluke sounded _great_, he kept thinking about the third of their 'group'... The confession would not only have in impact on him and Kluke, but it would affect Shu _a good deal_; large enough to cause an upsetting factor...

As he returns his gaze back to the dank, green machine, he lets out a sigh.

_His love for Kluke was perhaps better as a secret; the way it's always been_.

/

**12. Kiss**

That warm smile, the laugh accompanied with closed eyes, bliss practically _radiating _off of her... She was amazing – Kluke was beyond beautiful. She was strong too; not physically, but mentally. She had the mental capacity to pick up her feet and walk with her head held high... Though there were times where the past would shatter her protective covering, breaking through and replaying that day she lost _them_... Her parents... Kluke looked like her mother, but she had her father's eyes, which contained that care and compassion any father would (or should) have. It was a shame too... It's been _so long_... It's been days_..._months..._years_, since he's seen the corners of her mouth pull upwards, forming a memorable smile that anyone would love...

Jiro inhales deeply, the fresh scent of grass filling his lungs before he exhales. He loved Kluke - there was no doubt about it. He would do anything for her... even risk his life. But the thing was, it's been a while since he's seen her that happy before her parents lives were taken by that mechanical shark clad in earth elements such as rock and dirt. And he _misses it _so very much – that exuberant, elegant smile of hers. Jiro tried the onslaught of thoughts, but to no avail; she was just on his mind. Nonetheless, he tries to keep himself occupied by looking around for the medicinal herbs she needed... Well, she didn't need them _now_, but there was a strong possibility she _would_... soon. So why not start now?

He realizes by the time he has gathered nearly a basketful (thankfully, he _did _bring a carrier of some sort along) that he hadn't paused to think about anything (or anyone) else during that short average of minutes. '_This is ridiculous_...' He settled, eyes narrowed at the ground, the rain of thoughts (_of her_) not easing in the slightest. It made him feel sick about himself, but- He heaves a sigh, hurrying out of the Jibral Grasslands as quickly as possible. Jiro comes to the conclusion that it's just the outside weather that's having such an effect on him – nothing else in the least. However, that doesn't stop the hospital from closing for the day; she's just about finished and there are no more patients... or so he thinks. Regardless, he picks up the pace and hurries over to the familiar building with a painting of a red heart on the overhead sign.

Without knocking he – unintentionally, of course – stumbles into the main room with its familiar yellow floor and green carpet. The main office is located to the left... but he found it a bit odd how the 'doctor' hadn't decided to check and see who had walked in. Dismissing this, Jiro, knowing _something _must be wrong, places the basket aside and intrudes into the office room, a perplexed frown on his face. What he finds though completely shocks (with no little amount of confusion) him a lot more than it should have.

The first thing that comes to his mind is that she's not going to keep _it _up – her hair. Rich, thick brown locks cascade down to her midback as she tugs the bow away from the high ponytail. The usual bangs on the right side of her face remain (or so he thinks; his view isn't the greatest), and she uses the bow to – _tie _– cover a wound of some sort (on her leg it seems); slow the current flow of blood _without _having to cauterize the injury... Absentmindedly, two dull thoughts cross his mind: 'How did she get hurt in the first place?', and 'She looks...' Funny as it sounds, he finds himself unable to finish his phrase – he's _never _seen her with hair down... Save for that _one _time when they were just kids, but her hair wasn't as long back then... Plus it was at the time he didn't see Kluke in a _different _light.

Not wanting to sit like a statue and just stare, he cleared his throat, trying to avert her attention to him so it wouldn't seem less... _awkward_ – more for him than her, believe me. When she turns around though, astonishment clearly illustrated in the dilated pupils, he feels his stomach _flip_ a little ('_okay, a lot_,' he corrects himself bitterly) and his face feels a little hot... specifically the cheeks. Regardless, Jiro has always pictured Kluke as beautiful – ethereal almost – but he _never _gave much thought to her hair pulled down, out of the usual style.

"Jiro? What's wrong...?" She follows this question up by standing straight, grasping her right arm with the other, and – wait, he's not the _only one _blushing...

Even though it was only five seconds, he still feels like an ignorant buffoon when his response doesn't come quickly; just gawking and 'Um...'. He felt like hitting his head against the doorframe and managed to overcome it by a quarter before he response verbally: "Nothing, I just came here to..." _Why am I here again...? _"...bring some herbs." The ending part of the response is akin to a question more than a statement... and he feels the heat on his face spread.

She blinks a few times, but seems to gather her wits faster than him. "Oh, okay... Is... that all?" Kluke tugs nervously at one of the many locks that frame the side of her face.

Like a few minutes before, he doesn't respond verbally, but his eyes avert to the wound – which is bound by red silk, but he can _still _distinguish the difference between the bow fabric and the sanguine color of blood. A prickling feeling of worry and slight stress races up his spine, the stimulus reacting faster than he expected. He remembers saying, "What happened...?" as he took a few (swift) steps forward, and she knelt down on one knee to undo the ribbon-

-and their lips meet unintentionally.

A rush of thoughts racing at ludicrous speed such as, '_Oh, God... What the heck happened?_!' and '_It was on accident_!_!_' dart into the confines of his mind as they both sit there, his (and her) mouth unyielding.

But regardless... The eyes that slip shut are a clear sign that she doesn't _completely_ hate it (or that's what it seems to him – that she hates it). And soon... she pulls him towards her until she's pinned beneath him, arms wrapped around his neck as she deepens the kiss.

He feels his eyes widen, but after he recovers from the shock, he falls into place with eyes shut gently.

Their first kiss was merely on accident, but it was one moment that they'd never forget.

/

**13. *Off**

'_She's a bit off today_,' he thinks bitterly, a bitter taste residing in the corner of his mouth. '_And by _off_, I mean _really _off..._'

Perhaps it was just the sedative that kicked in, but regardless, his one conclusion was this: He did _not _like the way she was acting... This was a lot coming from Jiro, who adored and loved Kluke with all his heart. She was _certainly_ not drunk, but the medicine induced into her was definitely having the affects an alcoholic beverage would have... In fact, she did more than slur words; she was talking to _complete _strangers and saying _quite inappropriate _things to them... In a way, Jiro had blamed the 'doctor' for this, who had merely waved a hand, idling saying, 'Oh just keep a good eye on the girl... The rooms are booked full, so you'll have to take her home.' So much for being 'booked'; Jiro, while he dragged Kluke behind him – who was making stupid comments about the world – had walked by _several empty _rooms. If this was the doctor's sorry excuse for being lazy, then it worked _perfectly_ on him...

He searched for his house – once that was out in the open, but due to an increase in Talta's small population, a 'few' estates were built in front of his. He groaned irritably as he dragged his feet in the sand, unintentionally kicking up the particles, which found a comfortable spot in his shoes. Jiro grimaced as the sand spread out in its new 'habitat'; now he _really _wanted to get home and take off the-

"Are we there yet...?" came a dull retort, aggravation dripping from every word.

Jiro resisted the urge to whip around and give her a _huge _frown – he managed to do so by a quarter. Instead, he looked over his shoulder and said, "Almost. It'll be a few minutes, so just..." He tried to think of a quick way to respond before she chipped in another _stupid _comment. "...wait."

Thankfully, she was quiet until they reached the house... That was the key word: _Until_. As soon as they reached the shelter (and into his room), Kluke threw herself on his bed, letting out an agitated groan, "_Finally_!_! _I didn't think we were _ever _going to get home!" (Against his own will, he forces himself not to correct her and say: '_My _house'...) Yet, the dull atmosphere rose over her again, pulling her into an abyss of extreme fatigue and exhaustion – ways of the medicine. "Ugh, do you mind if I just lay down for a bit...?"

"No... You're already on my bed..." He pushes away the blush that threatens to stain his cheeks. "Kluke? When is that supposed to wear off...? You know... the sedative shot?"

She isn't listening though for she's throwing in random talk about useless babble and nonsense... "Why is the sky blue, Jiro?", "Jiro, why do you have so many books? Ever heard of a library?", and "Could you tuck me in?".

Alas, it was the last phrase that froze him in place... He turned to face her, pure astonishment illustrated on his face. He resists the urge to stutter, but fails miserably, "W-What d-did you s-say?_!_" Nonetheless, he doesn't get much time to reply to _this _question, for she's already beginning to _push _the matter.

"Come on, Jiro!_!_ I'll go to sleep right after this – I swear to God I will..." She reminds him of a toddler... One who suffers from a self-proclaimed insomnia because she doesn't want to sleep...

He tries to put on a front; feigns impatience and irritation – but in reality, he's seething with embarrassment on the inside; the Kluke he knows would _never _do this – as he walks over, giving the covers a tug towards her chin. It is, undeniably, not a _gentle_ gesture, but right now, he's so angry with the affects of the 'crazy' (his new name for it) medicine, the doctor, and he's so flushed right now that he could melt an iceberg if he decided to position himself next to it. Just as he turns to walk away (pull up a chair maybe), he hears her mutter something. On instinct, he turns and asks, "What?"

"Thanks..." Her eyes are closed and the words are passing through almost-closed lips. "I...love you..."

The three words rams into him, literally snagging his breath from his body. But after gawking at her like a fish, he demands, "What did you just say?_!_"

But she's asleep, the _final_ (hopefully) affects of the medicine having kicked in... When she'd wake up, she wouldn't remember _any _of this; but she'd be healthier...

He watches the steady rise and fall of her chest before collapsing into the chair near his desk. Heaving a sigh, Jiro rests his head in his hands, a heavy, blurry pressure beginning to spade their coverings.

'_If only it were true_... _Stupid, freaking, medicine..._'

Kluke would _never _love him like _that_...

**14. Date**

She gazes at her reflection in the mirror; image is a little distorted from the smudges, but it'll have to do for now.

Without a moment to lose, she hurries back, pulls out the magenta bow and replaces it with the black one instead. Kluke is exactly eighteen years old, and instead of adorning the usual black dress, she had tried something _different_ for a change... Her attire consisted of: a yellow dress whose skirt reached right above the kneecaps - but unlike the black and pink dress, this one didn't have a turtleneck. A tan-colored belt substituted as the yellow cloth for the day... She wore a short, white jacket over the top part of her outfit, and white tights underneath. Instead of the regular boots, Kluke had thrown on black flats instead. Of course, the black bow blended in nicely with her outfit...

Kluke averts her attention back to the mirror, eyes soon widening at herself. Her facial features seemed... different. There was a mature look to them and her eyes seemed more _motherly_ (almost) than they had when she was younger... The eyes seemed to have a more 'older' and elegant look to them; like a woman. The childish lines that had adorned her face for as long as she could remember? Gone. And though she had never given much thought to the length, her hair had grown a _lot_. She could've sworn that if she pulled it out of its ponytail that the hair would reach a bit lower than midback. As for her figure, it seemed much more slim and curvier than it had in the past. The more she thought about it, the more her appearance reminded herself of her mother...

Pulling her gaze away from the mirror, she walked into the foyer of her new house. Seeing how the old estates found in Talta were no longer accessible, they were hard pressed to build their own on a new habitable cube. Regardless though, the place was perfect; the smell of the sand reminded her of the _real _Talta – home. _Before _that dreaded monster had to interfere and take _everything _from her... However, as she steps out of her house and onto the porch, she feels a bit of a 'fluttery' feeling in her chest... Sure their work was just an assignment (or a project that Kluke had willing offered to help with), but to her, it seemed more like a date than anything else...

A million thoughts run laps inside her head as she nears Jiro's house. The only two that are left take her _completely _off guard: '_Will we end up working on the research at _all_?_' and '_Will I be too much of a burden for him to handle?_'

Immediately, she dismisses both, straightening her posture. She knocks gingerly on the door and the response is the pounding of footsteps... followed by something delicate crashing to the ground (a not-so-soft, "Argh, I thought I moved that!" occupied by the aftermath of the broken object)... and a tug at the door, which is locked – thus rendering his attempts at opening the door useless. Nonetheless, after the rush of incidents, he manages to pull it open (unlock it) and he says one word: "Kluke."

She blinks a few times before nodding slowly. "Yes?"

They both stare at each other before Jiro decides to break the ice, "S-So, are you... uh, ready?"

For some odd and disturbing reason, she feels like giggling (yes, giggling) at his awkwardness... Immediately, she shakes this off and responds, "Of course. Is everything..." She gestures to the broken object – a vase. "...ready?"

He turns his head, looking over his own shoulder. "Oh, that..." He faces her again, lets out a nervous laugh before throwing in, "Yes, everything's already out in my room. You can set up there if you want; I just need to clean the _mess _up..." With that, he turns and hurries into the room on the left; the one that leads to the kitchen (or so she thought; she hasn't been over to his house recently).

Cautiously, as if she's walking on eggshells, Kluke steps in and closes the door, deciding to remain downstairs instead of going up to start (for a lack of better word). So when Jiro shot her a perplexed look, she shook her head, "It's fine," Then she walks over, bending down beside him and grabbing the dustpan. She tilts her head to the side a bit, smiling sheepishly. "I... sorta feel as if I'm responsible for this."

Jiro opens his mouth as if he's about to protest, but he backs down, knowing Kluke wouldn't let it go. So instead, he offers a smile of his own – it's sincere in contrast to hers. "You're not responsible, Kluke; I'm just a klutz..." (His last phrase is able to coax out a small laugh from her; his eyes brighten at this) "But thanks, really..."

/

**15. Three words**

The nerves are practically _gnawing _at him...

It's been a year now since the defeat of the Egg of Light, making him twenty (surprisingly), and her nineteen. Shu was the same age as Kluke as was Sahlia, but those two had gotten together quite a while back... They didn't see them much, but a golden opportunity was never passed up. But still, both Shu and Sahlia had been exploring quite a handful of different cubes. Jiro had felt a bit envious towards them for two reasons, but they didn't bother him (or he didn't allow them) that much. Whenever one of the 'questions' popped up in his head, he'd try to dismiss it – and every time, he _never _resented his decision. Jealousy could lead to _stupid _decisions...

Nowadays, the Neo Jibral Cube has had a slight decrease in population due to the increase of new cubes that reminded them _a lot _of their old home... So it was a bit odd to hear the sound of his footsteps against the gray cement. Usually the main square was full of endless chatter and babble, but not today. It was a clear day; the sky was a pale blue blanket with a few streaks of white here and there... It was peaceful. The gentle breeze was a bonus addition as well as the good mood the people (or who were outside that day) were in. Regardless, he's not here to enjoy the scenery – as much as he wants to, he doesn't want to take it all in _now_... After all, he has some slight business to attend to...

Three words have been kept for her for _too long_...

Three words stirred worry in the pit of his stomach for he cared for Shu and Kluke...

And finally, those three words were about to be let out from his heart, and into the open...

She _was _going to hear them...  
And the speaker was going to be _him_.

Ω

Kluke looked out at the sea from the Neo Jibral Garden, wondering how many cubes Shu had dragged Sahlia to... She didn't care much for their relationship as much as she used to; she was happy for Shu – Sahlia too. She comes to the conclusion that the reason why she wanted Sahlia to stay away from Shu, was because she couldn't bear the thought of him being with another _girl_. She loved Shu; the way a mother would love her child, or the way a sister would love her younger brother. No matter how much they bickered, she still loved him from the bottom of her heart. The whole thought and idea that Sahlia's crush was cast on Shu _scared _her, and filled her with utmost sorrow... _Her _Shu... He was growing up too fast. It was... strange; out of all of them, the youngest seemed to grow the fastest.

A small smile tugs at the corners of her lips – it's peaceful, full of serenity. She sighs out the slight tension, relaxing as the wind gently tousles her hair and dress.

"There you are..."

She jumped at the sound of his voice before whirling around. At the sight of him, the remaining pressure that hadn't been exported out of her body leaves now. Kluke looks him over, dully noting that he's growing up too... He's grown taller, his hair's grown quite a bit (but not ridiculously like Shu's; Jiro's hair doesn't even reach the shoulder blades), and his facial features have a mature edge to him. The eyes now have that logic look to them – more than they'd ever had before. He's twenty; he's becoming a _man_.

"Jiro..." She didn't know how to respond to his sudden appearance... so she said that.

He hesitates (and she wonders why he's acting this way) before walking over to her. For the time being, he avoids eye contact with her, almost as if he's struggling. No matter how old he got, that 'careful-step procedure' would always linger with him...

"What's wrong?"

"Huh? Oh, um... nothing..." He turns away, running a hand through his hair. "I just... needed to tell you something, that's all..."

Kluke raises an eyebrow at his display, confusion written all over her face. "Really? Well..." She tried to find a way to _push _him without doing harm. "...don't feel uncomfortable, Jiro. I'm sure whatever you have to say will be fine." However, her stomach drops when he shakes his head, dismissing her words.

"It's a long story... And it _does _have a lot of meaning behind it..." He _finally _looks at her and grasps her arms in a firm, yet strangely gentle grip. "I've been hiding something from you for a _long time_, Kluke – a _very _long time... That night in Lago Village three years ago was the closest I came to coming out with it... Well, excluding your birthday, but in the end, I held back. I tried telling you again when we were in Mate's Grief in the Atomic Cube when we were searching for Himiko... but _every time I got the chance_..." An expression consisting of upset and sadness overtakes his features as he lets go of her, and Kluke feels a twinge of pity towards him (perhaps more than a twinge). "...I turned and ran. I'm a _coward_." (She's ready to respond, but by the time she thinks of something, he's speaking again) "At the banquet, I couldn't say it then... Because I saw how upset you were when you saw Shu and Sahlia together. I don't know if you love Shu, Kluke, but I can't keep it in anymore..."

Her breath stills and her eyes widen as he adds the next words, eyes on her:

"Kluke, _I love you_."

As soon as that phrase left his lips, she feels her heat pound violently against her chest and her legs feel a bit wobbly – but they're perfectly straight, thank you. She doesn't know what to say... But: "I... I didn't..." She sees the thinly veiled hurt in his eyes, but it's not the reason for her next words...

"I didn't know... I'm sorry, but..." She looks him in the eyes, eyebrows knitted together. "Jiro, I _know _how you feel – believe me, I do. I didn't know what anyone would think, but I _knew _it was going to affect the people around me... I was worried about Shu and how he'd react... But...I love you too..." Her pulse increases and she feels her face heat up.

Now it's his turn to express his shock; he gaps at her, disbelief in his eyes. "You... what?"

"I love you too." She repeats her words and each one is _wonderful _to hear...

Before Kluke can react, she feels his arms around her, pulling her close.

Gently, she leans her head against his chest, hearing (and feeling) his heart beats as they simmer back down to their usual rhythm.

_All was perfect_.

/

_**~*~*~*"Blaze in the Labyrinth~*~*~***_

'_You can't _die _like this!_!'

The five words that dominated his mind before he fell into an abyss of blackness; not a speck of light anywhere.

He remembered hearing the monstrous roar of that... _thing_, that beast that nearly took away not only his life, but Randel and Shu's as well. The last of the three had suffered a terrible blow to his petite profile, having sent from the foot of the gargantuan, to a tree, yards away. The sickening crack that was emitted as head connected with trunk still echoed in his mind... Feeling slightly guilty, he pushes it away – because having to listen to it is _far _worse... Randel had summoned his beetle shadow (Heracles)(3) to use a skill he titled 'assault', but the beast had lifted up a foot and brought it down on his shoulders. Heracles had struggled to hold off the oncoming foot, but just a simple push of pressure was applied, and both shadow and wielder disappeared under the hoof.

Chiffon's scream... The high sounding notes filled with such sorrow and agony... It _broke _him. He wasn't as close to Chiffon as he was to Randel, but he was close enough to cringe away or become overwhelmed with crushing pity (literally) as she opened her mouth and shrieked. The girl dodged the enemy's arm, ducking between the legs and cradling Randel (who was out cold and possibly on the verge of death) in her arms. In fact, she was so focused on her friend that she didn't notice the club _lingering above her head_.

Sahlia had screeched out a warning, thrusting an arm forward with open palm, almost as if she hoped she was in range of grabbing the girl with auburn brown hair... Her shadow yowled, lunging forward, darting towards the direction he fingers were directed. Whether this was a telepathic order from wilder to shadow, it didn't matter; what _did _matter, was that _Kluke _had reached Chiffon before Sahlia could... A lot faster than Jiro had given her credit for. Now Bouquet had jumped in, fisted hands over her heart as she started north, intent on stopping her dear friend.

"_Kluke_!_!_! _No_!_!_!"

However, Kluke was oblivious to the warning; she only wanted one thing: To stop that colossal, two-horned beats from smothering two of her friends into a pulp. Phoenix sprung up from the ground behind her, screeching loudly before it let loose a hideous flame from its beak. The shooter hit its target and now the attention was on _them _rather Chiffon and Randel; the former had looked over at everyone else, eyes wide and guilt coating her eyes. "Don't you _dare_ harm my friends, you creep!_!_" Okay, so it wasn't the best comment (Marumaro could've found a better name for Zola by the time Kluke had conjured up good comeback remarks), but that didn't matter...

What _did _matter, was that the stinger of the beast reared up, taut and ready, club raised overhead, eyes caked with inner rage and detest, and the lowering of the arm as-

Jiro doesn't finish his analyzing of the foe's movements; he had darted in. Healer or barrier magic user or not, he wasn't going to let someone die like last time... As he rushes towards Kluke, time seems to slow down for him, and he can read Kluke's facial expression like a book: Terrified, but slight courage and pride, knowing that her time had come... Not if he could help it.

He calls on his minotaur shadow – which seems to appear out of _nowhere _almost – and cries, "Shieldus!_!_" Right as he says this, a pure white dome encases their front, but it doesn't stop the _crushing_ force as the club slams down into the shield. Jiro yells in pain, but he doesn't back down. He applies more magic, conjures more energy to repair the crack in the shield – because a crack in any type of magic barrier is _dangerous_ than what some people anticipate. Immediately, he feels the rush of mixed adrenaline and stamina escape his body, now becoming a part of the atmosphere. In the midst of all this, he swears he hears Kluke's concerned scream of his name... But he dismisses it-

He's already lost one person he loves...

He's not going to lose the other.

Numbly, Jiro realizes that the club has rammed into his mental barrier _five _times... and the crack is beyond repairable now. But he's learned something... He knows _now's _time to try it out... Breathing in deeply, he takes in all the damage the shield has suffered – the pain is almost _unbearable_ – and right as the monster slams the club into his shield, not only does it shatter, but all the pain and damage that the barrier endured _fires back_. The white light of the barrier gathers into a sphere directly in front of Jiro's face, and it averts to the foe – almost as if Jiro had given it the order to turn. Right as it faces the offender, it lets loose a powerful beam that tears through its head.

And it's gone... Dead.

Agony rips through him as he regains his senses, and he collapses, gasping with eyes clenched tight. _Everything_ – every _bloody thing _– in his body is sore, tender... _ripping_. The corners of his vision begin to darken, and he's only half-conscious of Kluke's screams mixed in with the sound of her shattered voice... and it takes him even _longer _to register that she's _crying_... Right before he lets unconsciousness encase his mind, he hears the concerned yells of Chiffon, Bouquet, and Sahlia as well... The last _phrase_ he hears is:

"Jiro... please don't... You can't _die _like this!_!_"

He wants to tell her that he's not 'dying', but he doesn't have any energy left...

Wherever he is now, its dark... It hurts even in his _sleep_ – isn't death supposed to be painless? Just a quick rip and all would be fine? The only thing that _scares _him about this situation, is the way the darkness seems to pull him with it, coarse hands grabbing at his profile as they try to pull him away from all he cared about... He cries out (loudly) as a sharp, prickling wave of pain wracks his body – caused by the hands no doubt. He wants _out_. He doesn't want to be on the brink of _death_. He wants to live...

"_Jiro_..."

Breath hitches... he turns-

...and his father – his _real_ father; not that abusive drunk that raids the kitchen cabinets searching for a beer or two at home – is there, a look of concern and love written across his face.

He chokes out, "D-Dad...?" Jiro mentally slaps himself for using such a word; he _never _called his father 'dad', but he discards this immediately – the sight and cruel realization is _right there_... literally. So many things race through his mind; he wants to beg for help to rid that pulling feeling – but it's not there... The force that dragged him down... It's _gone_; removed for the time being. So he pulls out the next question that he's wanted to ask since the elder appeared: "Where are we? Did I...?" He can't finish the ending, but his father seems to know what's coming.

"No, you're not; you're in the middle – between life and death." His father sighs heavily, the weight of thirty-something years pushing down on his shoulders. "Jiro... I'm sorry... I should've been there..."

Jiro cuts him off, unable to believe where his father was going, "It's _not_ your fault; don't you _dare_ say that!" The last word breaks as he struggles to his feet, ignoring how his body protests at him in agony. Both son and father avert their gaze away from one another, and Jiro feels the heavy pressure of tears. One escapes and rolls down his face, and his lips quiver at the effort of trying to push them away. Before he knows it, his father pulls him into a tight embrace; not the 'motherly-type' for this was _far _different... Right there, Jiro cracks and lets each and every tear fall, sobs tearing out his body as he clenches his father's shirt – confirming if he's there or not, it's still a relief to _feel _the blue fabric bunch under his fingers.

"I-I miss y-you!" He chokes out, breaking off into more sobs as the phrase ends. His eyes are clenched tight and the other hand – that is not clutching the shirt – is closed in on itself, nails biting deep into the soft flesh of his palm. "I-I'm sorry! I-It's all m-my f-fault! I-If only I had b-been stronger to c-cast a spell that c-could _heal _you!_!_!"

"Jiro, don't say that..." His father's voice is firm, yet comforting (in an odd way). "It's not your fault."

"Yes it _is_!_!_" He snaps back, teeth gritted. "_It is_, and you _know _it! You just want say it to my face!" Before another word is spoken, the topic about his 'step father' appears out of (basically) nowhere: "_I hate him!_! I _freaking _hate him!_!_ Every time I go home he _hits _me!_!_ _What did I do_?_! _He almost _killed _me!_!_ I couldn't breathe, I couldn't even _move_!_!_ I tried leaving the house before I went off on this journey..." He stifles a sob. "But he was _there!_! He demanded where I was going and when I wouldn't answer he grabbed my arm until I could _feel _his fingers _bruise the bone_! He only let go when mother called him from the other room..." With that said and done, he wiped furiously at his eyes, with his forearm.

His father was silent, hesitant almost. Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, he tossed in an apology, "I'm sorry, Jiro... I wasn't aware of this, but that may be because I'm not permitted into your world anymore. I'm afraid I can only travel here, and other lands that aren't akin to your planet." He lets his son go and kneels down, staring him in the eyes. "I don't have much time left... But I'm going to try and be there for you from now on. I'll do what it takes to cross the border if I have to; if I can communicate with that... _person _through his dreams? I swear he'll learn his lesson." He hesitated before adding the next part, "What about your mother?"

Jiro's body suddenly felt cold. He looked away. "I didn't tell her..." He muttered softly. "She'd be upset if I told her something like that..."

The elder frowned at this, confused and slightly irritated. "Jiro... I _know _your mother better than you think. If she found out he was treating you like this, then she'd throw him out. She loves your more than anything else in the world – that goes for _him _as well... But if you keep quiet about it, she's going to _stay put_, and you'll have to endure more of his treatment..."

He gazes back at him, a clear, understanding feeling coating his eyes. He _knows _his father is right... But...

"_Jiro!_!"

The slight jerk his body makes is caused by two things: One, the voice was not his father's, and two, this was further confirmed when his father looked around, puzzled as well. When the voice subsided, he (Jiro) responded, "Dad... Who _was _that?" (though he knew who it was; he just needed further support for his theory).

A sigh followed by standing with hand running through hair. "I'm afraid it's time to say goodbye – for now."

Jiro bites on his lip to prevent the disbelieved cry from tearing out of his throat – he didn't want to go. Not now... It's been so long... So, he wagers, "Why...?"

"_She's_ calling for you – Kluke." (Jiro's tempted to question his father's knowledge of her name, but he keeps quiet.) "It may not seem like it, but she cares for you deeply, son. She would do _anything _for you..." His face hardens before the next part is chipped in, "Don't focus on the past, Jiro... You can't walk backwards into the future; stay away from that man as much as possible... If I can't do anything, then the time for you to get back will appear in your future. When it's time, you'll know; just think before acting..."

And...

Before he knows it...

The image of his father is becoming distorted and blurred...

Ω

Kluke chewed on her lower lip, feeling tears prick at her eyes and sweat begin to collect between the small space of her clenched hand. She turned to look at Bouquet – who was tending to Shu – and quietly asked, "Bouquet... I-Is Shu going to be alright...?"

At first, there was no response, but it finally rose: "I think so... He may have a concussion; he hasn't stirred _once_." Almost willingly, as if to pull herself from Shu's unconscious form, she faces Kluke, eyes worried. "What about him...? Is he okay?" As much as she hates it, she forces Kluke to look at him by pointing to his unconscious form.

It's too much for her and she breaks down right there, sobbing uncontrollably. She soon feels Bouquet pulling her into a hug, hushing her; placating, almost. Kluke struggles to find the words needed to be spoken – in such a situation – but they elude her and the sobs that are practically _constricting _her make good check of that. In fact, she's so caught up in her anguish – (it's _her _fault... if only she were stronger to fight that _beast _by herself... she _hated _being a mage sometimes...) – that she almost misses the soft calling of her name. And immediately, she freezes, eyes open now. She looks up at Bouquet from her position, who's gazing at Jiro...

And he's awake.

Not upright in bed, but his eyes are slightly open, and his right hand – _that very hand_ she had held onto while he was in _that _bed – is rested on the side of his head. It soon travels south and stations by the side that is hidden from sight. "I'm fine..." His voice is dry, hoarse... almost as if he's been _crying _and is _just recovering _from the tears and cries.

Kluke having been let go by Bouquet, rushes to Jiro's side, grasping hold of his left arm. Before she has time to turn and ask Bouquet to get some water, the latter is already out the tent, rushing towards their supplies. "Thank _God_ you're alright... I thought something..." She can't finish the sentence so she breaks off into a sob.

He looks a bit startled to see her crying, but that doesn't prevent him from placing his free hand atop of hers.

Before he offers up what he _saw _between death and being alive, he wishes that they could stay together like this... for a _long _time.

/

**A/N****: **_...And... it's /finally/ done :D Wow… I didn't know I could write this much... I guess that's what happens if I put my mind to it, huh? ^^; Oh! Here are the footnotes for this fanfic, and which ones were AU's/based off of my fanfics...:_

_4. Control: "Shattered Wings" – I hadn't intended to squeeze this in (nor had I planned it to be so long), but it fit, and it actually didn't turn out as bad as I thought...  
5. Treatment by Candlelight: "Blaze in the Labyrinth – I actually like this, but it holds a bit of 'suggestive themes' as mentioned in the notes.  
7. Fragments of His Past: "Blaze in the Labyrinth – Okay, this was probably the 'hardest' to write out of all of them :/ Or… one of them anyway. But in contrast to the others, I liked how this turned out... This will be gone over in "Jiro: A Light Shines Anew".  
8. Wedding: "The Ties that Bind" – __**TBA (To Be Announced)**__ Basically, Kluke's getting married to Andropov; please read my "Ties that Bind" fanfic for more information – thank you.  
10. Listen: "Blaze in the Labyrinth" – This one turned out really well in my opinion :) I think it's just because of the descriptions...?  
13. Off: "__**TBA; Ties that Bind (possibly**__" :/ I don't even know what the fu** this is... I hate it though..._

_1) Yoyomi is a character in "Blue Dragon Awakened Shadow"; she is the old lady that Kluke heals in the opening cut scene of "Please Be Quiet in the Hospital"... Stupid name, I know..._

_2) For those who read "Blaze in the Labyrinth", you should know what I'm getting at. For those who didn't, then let me explain: In BitL, everyone possesses magic and shadows. However, Kluke just moved to Talta where she met Jiro and the others. In fact, all they know about Kluke is that she can use Black Magic; they don't know if she possess a Shadow or not._

_3) The name 'Heracles' is not only the name of the Greek Hero we're all familiar with, but it is also the name of the beetle in "Awakened Shadow"._

_Last but not least, the last event from BitL __**will **__appear in my novel, but certain things will be cut out so I'm not 'copyrighting' and what not... Also, the part where Jiro sees his father will __**not **__be explored (possibly) due to it begin in Kluke's P.O.V... as mentioned above. I miss writing for BitL... I need to get back on track again ^^;_

_All in all, I really like how this came out ^^ It was one helluva ride, that's for sure D: Plus, it's my __**longest one shot so far, as well as the longest one shot in the Blue Dragon archive**__ :D_

_Well I hope you guys liked it; I know (for once) I did ;)_

_Please review if you have time ^^_

**~ Inita**


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